Envelop-sealer and stamp and label affixer.



PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906 e, F. JOHNSON. BN'VBLOP SEALER AND STAMP AND LABEL AFPIXERAY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. 1906.

entrain snares reruns unison.

GUSTAF F. JOHNSON. OF SUPERIOR, WTSGONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TU WlLLl LM G EORGE ROBERTS, OF SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN.

ElVELGP SEALER AND STAMP AND LABEL AFFEXER- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed January 4, 1906. Serial No. 294,585.-

To all whom it 11111; concern:

Be it known that l, GUsTAr F. JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Superior, in the county 02 Douglas and State of i'v'isconsin, have invented a new and useful Envelop-Sealer and Stamp and Label Afiixcr, or" which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in devices for sealing envelope and aflixin stamps and-labels to letters, packages, an various articles.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device ada )ted to moisten and seal envelops and capable of aflixing stamps to the same and of applying gumrned labels to arious articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character designed particularly for use on a desk and adapted when not in use to have its moist ening means sup ported out of contact with the desk.

A further obj cot of the invention is to provide an envelop-sealer and stamp and label ailixer having package-op ening means adapt- -ed also to support 'the moistening-roller in a slightly-elevated position out of contact with the supporting-surface upon which the device is placed.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a devic having a conveniently-arranged blade adapted for opening envelope and onpable of use for various other purposes.

it is also the object of the invention to afford convenientaccess to the stamps or labels and efficient means for feeding the same from the device.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction andnovel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated this invention.

tional view or" the some. Fig. .3 is a reverse plan. view. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 s, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 ls-a detail perspective viewoi' the holder or receptacle for the stamps or labels.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the body of the device, consisting of an oblong casing and comprising a sheet-metal plate and integral sides 2-, which are resilient and which are extended at the ends of the casing to provide opposite bearing-arms 3 and 4, and the latter are arranged iii-pairs, and each have journaled between them rollers 5 and 6. The arms 3 and 4 are provided with suitable perforation or bear- 7 1ng-o enings for the reception of the journals 7 an 8 of the rollers 5 and 6, and these journals may be of any desired construction. The roller 5, which is designed forapplying moisture to an envelopl'or sealing the same 7 5 and also for affixing stamps and labels, is constructed of absorbent material, such as felt, and it is provided with a central core 9, of wood or other suitable material, on which the felt is arranged. The sheet metal of which the body or casing is constructed is s lit longitudinally to form the arms 3,, and

t 6 intermediate ortions of the 'material lying between saicl bearing-arms 3 is bent outward and cut to form a pair of t. ering rejecting portions '10, which exteu over the felt roller when the device isarranged as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the moistcning-roller is not in use, the device is inverted and the tapering rejections 10 0 form supporting-feet to .hold t 1e moisteningroller in a slightly-elevated position out of contact with the desk or other supportingsurl'ace u on which the device is placed. This enables the device to be used. on a desk without liability of injuring the finish of the same or soiling the papers or other articles lying upon the top of the desk. The tapering projections or feet are also adapted to be used for opening small packages, and they :00 are spaced from the m0istcningroller,. as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that when they are used forthis purpose the moistenin roller will not come in contact with the pa'c age being opened. The side edgesor the-I05 tapering projections are sulliclently sharp to enable them to readily sever a strin or cut the paper of a package. The felt rollermay be moistened by dipping it into a receptacle containing a quantity of water or by any .Tli 831.076

readily understood. The casing is of a size to enable it to be readily held in the hand, so I that the device can beconveniently grasped and used.

The roller 6, which is rubber-covered,1s adapted to apply the necessary pressure for sealing envelops or' other articles, and it is preferably provided with a wooden body portion, but may be constructed in any desired manner. The n'ioistening-roller 1s arranged at the other end of the device, and either of the rollers 5 and 6 may be used with- I the arms 4 to provide a guide portionor flange 11, which extends across the space between the arms and which is arranged at an angle or inclination. This inclined transverselydisposed guide flange cooperates "With a similar guide-flange 12 of a stamp or label holder 13, which is in the form of a pivoted box or receptacle. The box or receptacle consists of a bottom and side andend walls, the guide-flange or portion 12 being carried by and consisting of an'extension of vice.

the outer or front end wall 14 of the box or holder 13. The guide-flange or portion 12 is spaced from the flange or portion 11 to provide an inclined guide or way for'guiding a stamp or label beneath the" pressure-roller, whic will clamp astamp or label between it and the envelop or other article and assist in feeding such stamp or label out of the device.

The box or holder is provided a 5 its inner'end V with laterally-extending pivots 15, preferably formed by partially severing portions of 'theside walls 16 and arranged in openings of the sides 2 of the body or casing ofthe de The pivots have their outer portions bent against the outer faces of the sides of the body or'oasing, whereby the box or holder is prevented from becoming disconnected from the said body or casing through any lateral movement of the sides 2, which are resilient and Whichare adapted to b'OOHlPIGSSGd and expanded for a purpose hereinafter described. The pivots permit the box or holder to be swung inward and outward to open and close the same, and the said box or holder is retained in its closed position by means of a longitudinal spring 17, which is engaged by a heel 18 of the rear end wall 19 of the box or holder 13. Thespring is 4 formed integral with the casing by splitting the same longitudinally at opposite sides of the center, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and the pressure-severed portion is bowed inward for engagement with the heel, which projects from the upper edge of the rear wall 19 of the box or holder.

The 'box or holder is positively locked 1n its closed position by means of a pair of substantially L-shaped catches 20, formed by partially-severed portions of the side walls 16 and" bending the 'partiallysevered portions outward, as clearly shown in Figs. .4 and 5. The L-shaped catches engage from the edges of the sides 2 and are providedwith projections 21, which engage openings-22 of the sides 2, whereby the box or holder 13 is held against outward movement. The sides 2 are resilient and are adapted to be compressed to carry them out of engagement with the projections of the L-shaped catches, and the sides whenreleased are adapted to spring outward automaticallyto rengage the said catches. When the sides are compressed in-' ward, the box or holder is adapted to be opened, and the spring 17 and the heel 18 will maintain the box or holder in its closed posi tion until it is positively swung outward. Also the springwill assist the opening of the box or holder and will throw the same outward when the said box or holder is posi. tiv'ely opened a short distance by hand.

The stamps are fed out of the box or holder -by means of a corrugated feed roller, which preferably consists .of a rubber-covered wooden roller 23 and which is journaled in bearings 24. i The inner portion of the feed roller extends into the casing through an opening25 thereof to engage the stamps or labels, and portions of the'metal cut from the casing to form the opening 25 are bent out ward at the ends of the opening to provide projecting ears or arms for supporting the feed-roller. The ears 'or arms are provided with perforations to receive the journals of the feed-roller and constitute the bearings 24. The opening 25 extends transversely of the casing and is located adjacent to theinner or upper end of'the guide or way formed by the flanges 11 and 12.

i The stamps or labels are yieldably held in engagement with the corrugated feed roller by means of a resilient sup ort or clampingplate 26, constructed of t. in spring metal and provided at its rear wall with a flange 27,

which is affixed to the rear wall of the box or holder by bending the upper edge of the same ing in contact with the corrugated feed-roller.

The free front portion ofthe resilient support 2 is forced away from the feed-roller by the stamps, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and as the stamps are used the clamp 1ng-plate or support automatically springs clamping-plate 26 by partially severing the central portions of the same; The spring or tongue 29 extends longitudinally of the resilient support or clamping-plate 26 and is connected at its frontend with the same, its rear end being free and bent upward to provide a fiange'orwall 30. The spring or tongue 29 is arranged at an angle to the resilient support or clampin plate 26 when it is relieved of pressure, as 0 early shown in Fig. 5, and it is adapted to be depressed or bent down into the opening cut into the plate or support 26 in forming the spring or ton 1e 29.

In affixing the stamps orv abels the moisteningq'oller applies the necessary moisture to the surface of the envelop or package, j and the corrugated feed-roller is then partially rotated to feed a stamp or label out of the device, and such stamp or label is pressed the presagainst the moistened surface by;

- the teeds'ure-roller, which cooperates wit I roller in feeding the stamps or labels from the device. surface by which the stamp-or label is to be affixed the moisture may be directly ap .lied

to thegummed surface of: the stem or abel when it is impracticablefto operate t e device as above described.

The device is provided at one side with a knife-blade 31, adapted "for opening letters and for various other purposes and pivoted at its end 32 to one end of the body or casing by one of the journals 8 of the pressure-roller 6. The end 32 of the blade is also provided with an inwardly-extending lu 33, which en ges the edge of the side wal 2 when the bla e isopened and which thereby limits the opening movement of the same. The blade is supported when closed by means of a keeper 34, consisting of an L-shaped. lug or projection extending outward from one. of

' the sides 2 of the body or casing.

' moistening-roller and provided with a Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. -A'device of the class described, having a rojectin foot extending over and spaced Irom the rodler when the devicein use and arranged to support the moisteni'n -roller in a slightly-elevated position when the device is not in use.

moisteping-roller and'providedwwith a proslightly-elcvated position when Instead however, of moistening the jectin the roller when the device is in use and ar ranged to support the moistenin -roller in a the device 1s not in use, said foot being tapered and constituting a package-opener.

3. A device of the class described, having a moistening-roller and fprovidedwith a pair of projecting feet, said eet being taperedand extending on one side of the roller and arranged to support the roller when. the device is not in use and adapted also for use as a package-opener.

4. A device of the class described, having means for holding the stamps or labels and provided with a guide or way, a feed-roller arranged to feed the stamps or labels to the guide or way and a pressure-roller located at the outward end of the guide or way to co1n-' plete the feeding operation and to press the stamps or labels against the surface to which they are to be applied. I

a 5. A device of the class described, provided with means for holding the stamps or labels and having a guide or way, means for.

feeding the stamps or labels throughthe guide or way, and a pressure-roller arranged at the outward end of the guide or way to complete the feeding operation.

6. A device of the class described having a stamp or label holder and provided with a uide or way extending from the same, a eed-roller mounted on the device at the inner end of the guide or way and extending into the holder to feed the stain s through the guideway, said feed-roller a so projecting exteriorly of the device to enable it to be exteriorly operated, and a pressure-roller ar-. ranged at the outer end of the guide or way to complete the feeding of the stamps or labels and to press the same against the surface to which they are to be applied.

7. A device of the class described, having a stamp-or label holder and provided with a uide or way extending from the same, and a eed-roller mounted on the device and extending into the holder to feed the stamps or labels through the guide or way, said roller projecting exteriorl of the device to enable it to be rotated by t e finger.

8. A device of the class described, having a stamp or label holder, a feed-roller arran ed to feed the stamps or labels from the holder, and a resilient clampinglate located within the holder and receiving t e stamps orlabels, said clamping-plate being sup orted at: one end and avlng its other end free and arrangedto hold the stamps or labels against the feed-roller;

9. A device of the class described, having a stamp ordabel holder, a feed-roller, a resilient supporting or clamping plate fixedat its in- I g I ner end and having its outer end from and a 2. A device of'the class described, having a resilient tongue or spring carried, bythe plate and having its inner end free :said'prate foot extending over and spaced from against the feedroller, said plate having its outer end free and provided with a longitudipally-arranged spring or tongue having its lnner end free and provided with a projecting engaging portion.

11. A device of the class described, comprising a casing having a guiding-flange, a box or holder hinged at one end to the casing and provided at its other end with a ui'cling fl'ange spaced fromthe said guidingange to form a guideway, and means-for feeding the stamps or labels through the guideway.

12. A device of the class described, comprising -a casing having resilient sides and a stamp or label holder hinged to the casing and provided with catches engaging the sides of the casing, said sides being compressible to release the stamp or label holderr 13. Adevice of the class described, comprising a casing having resilient sides, and a stamp or label holder hinged to the casing and provided with L-sha ed catches embracing-the sides of the caslng and provided with projections for engaging the same to lock the holder in its closed position, said resilient sides being adapted to be compressed to disengage them from the catches.

14. A device of the class described, comprising a casing provided with a spring, a hinged stamp or label holder mounted within the casing and having a projecting portion or heel for engaging the spring,.and means for feeding the stamps or labels from the holder, said spring being arranged to move the holder in the direction of the feeding means.

15. A device of the class described, comprising a casing, a moistening-roller located at one end, a pressure=roller arranged at the other end of the casing, a stamp or label holder arranged within the casing at an 'intermediate point, and a feed-roller also mounted on the casing for feeding the stamps or labels from the holder to the pressureroller.

my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

. 5 In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 

